Triinu Upkin – Ballet at the Bar

It may be a Monday, but every seat is full at Heldeke! for Triinu Upkin’s début show, Ballet at the Bar. The program tonight is a cocktail of dance and performance art, with a healthy pour of comedy, a splash of social commentary, and a dash of history. Triinu enters the stage as if exiting a stage after a show, a voice track playing over her movements as she changes clothes, an invisible audience offering up their thoughts on ballerinas. She grabs a drink from the bar, settles before us, and the event truly begins.

Triinu is immediately captivating, easily engaging with the crowd while walking us through her daily routines, backstage happenings, and the history of ballet. She touches on costume changes, answers common questions, and dives into the social pressures surrounding her profession, both on and off the clock. Despite the array of topics covered and formats used, Triinu’s performance is entirely cohesive and blends together flawlessly. Her ease and grace as a ballerina are mirrored in the way she conducts her show, and her control, both in her physical and spoken performance, is nothing short of impressive.

A dynamic performance, she uses a variety of props, sipping a cocktail here or adding an article of clothing there. She plays guitar and sings an original song, she stretches up against a pillar by the bar, and puts tape over her mouth as she performs a segment from La Bayadere. Her emotional range matches in its dynamism: her commentary on the pressures she faces as a ballerina and as a human woman are raw and vulnerable, while her comedic moments and easy banter with the audience are light and playful.

Audience participation is relied on heavily throughout her act, making for an immersive experience that goes beyond mere crowd work. At different points, she directs everyone to stand, guiding the crowd through a rapid-fire version of her morning pliés and stretches, and later, through a brief group dance. It is impressive how she draws her viewers in, getting us to participate with our hands, bodies, and even drinks. And when she does speak to audience members to ask questions, she leans in close, making each encounter intimate and personal. Triinu connects effortlessly with her spectators, making us feel as if we are all really sitting next to her at the bar, discussing ballet.

There are too many highlights to count, with stand-out moments everywhere. Speaking to audience members afterwards, each one pinpoints different segments of the act as their favorite. The reviews are glowing too: one spectator described it succinctly as both “intelligent and amusing” with another saying it exceeded their expectations. The youngest audience member, a teenage boy, commented that he really enjoyed it, describing the performance as “mesmerizing.” Another viewer stated that she liked how educational it was. “It gave me a better understanding of a ballerina’s life and helped me learn about ballet.” This viewer also described Triinu as “charismatic and expressive” saying “she was interesting to watch and to listen to. She was captivating.”

If you’d like to catch Triinu Upkin in person, visit the Estonian National Opera, or better yet come visit Heldeke! this week. There are two more showings of Ballet at the Bar, at 1900 on Tuesday, September 16th and on Thursday, September 18th. The Tallinn Fringe runs only for another few days, but has plenty of shows left on the program. Catch them before the season ends!

Author: Lily Strider